The True Ruler of Tritus
by NeoVaihlo
Summary: When an old forgotten nemesis of Koaru's returns, and wants to reclaim the throne of Tritus, Koaru and the Scouts must battle for more then just their lives. please review
1. Prolouge

Note: if you have not yet read Downfall of the Silver Millennuim of The Forgotten Guardian, please do so before reading the followwing FF. this story will make more sense if you do, trust me. thnx for reading.

The True Ruler of Tritus

Prologue

The astronaut finished his work, sat back and sighed in relief. _"Finally finished."_ He thought to himself as he felt the sweat run down his face. He was sitting on a very large meteorite which was on a collision course with a orbital space station, and if the giant rock hit, it would make one hell of a dent. So he had dug sixty feet into the kilometer long rock and planted enough C4 to blow apart the Great Pyramid.

_"Dave, are you done? We want to get clear of that thing before it goes off like on of your sons cherry bombs."_

The astronaut smiled as his friends voice crackled over the radio in his helmet. He clicked the response switch on his belt and responded. "Yeah, I'm done John. Is Rick ready for departure?"

There was a short silence, then Rick's voice came over the radio. _"The sooner you get here, the sooner we leave, alright?"_

Dave smiled again and started to walk back to the drop ship a short ways away, ready to get back to the space station and down a beer.

A sound echoed through the darkness that surrounded the curled figure. His long gray hair was blanketing around him, and he stirred. _"Where…how long…when…"_ These thoughts echoed in his mind as his memory raced. A castle, screams, the feel of blood on his hands, a dark burning hate in his soul, a young princess with long blonde hair tied into two overly long pigtails, and boy with long black hair and piercing blue eyes, enchanted eyes. Then came the pain, the pain as the Impearium Silver Crystal's energy coursed through his body, turning him into a powerless being. Then came the feeling, a feeling his soul had not felt in centuries; his heart began to beat.

"What the hell?" Dave shouted as the meteorite began to shake. Then, just as quickly as the tremor started, it stopped.

"_Dave! What the fuk was that?"_

Dave caught his breathe, then shook his head. "Nothing I guess. Open the door, I'm her…"

He never finished the sentence. Just as the small door had started to drop for him to enter, and large spike from the meteor shot up and impaled him through the chest.

"_Dave? Dave! What just happened?"_

Dave's eyes slowly closed as the sight of earth, his home, became the last image his living soul took in.

"DAVE! Damn-it, this isn't funny! Where are you?" John set down his radio and turned to Rick. "I'm to go see what the hell he's up to." Rick nodded and continued to ready the ship for take off.

John looked in through the small glass hole into the air chamber. The door was still open, and there was no sign of Dave. John moved over to another suit, figuring Dave wanted to goof around for the next seven minutes till the bomb went off. As he started to pull on the pants, he heard a strange sound behind him, like a splat. He turned and saw a large red blob that had just hit the window.

"_What the hell?"_ he wondered as he walked back over to the window. As the blob floated away from the window, it left a long red streak on the glass, and John recognized it with a cold feeling in his stomach.

"Rick, check behind us with the rear camera, and quick!" John shouted as he ran into the cockpit of the ship. Rick looked puzzled, but shrugged and obeyed.

"My God…" Rick whispered as John's face flushed. There was Dave, impaled by the meteor that they were blowing up. John grabbed the radio.

"This is the drop ship Streamer calling Space Station Orion. Do you copy!" he shouted in his panic. A reply crackled through the radio.

"_This is Orion, Streamer. What the hell is taking so long?"_

Rick replied with his own head set. "We have a situation. Dave is dead. It looks like the damn rock impaled him and-WHAT THE FUK!"

The figure felt the darkness fading, felt his body absorbing it, strengthening him. He felt the others, two others above him.

"They will not escape." He muttered as he opened his eyes, dark gray pupils with pitch black centers like dark tunnels.

Rick and John panicked as the rock surface around them rippled, and long spikes surrounded the ship, covering it. John dove for the radio.

On the Orion, the tech crew had just ordered all available crew members to get two more drop ships ready to go and save the Streamer's crew. Their radio crackled and they all listened closely.

"_Damn rock is alive…surrounded…can't take off…no time…get away from…" the radio went dead._

"What do we do?" asked one of the crewmen. The tech officer sighed, then keyed the radio. All hands, report to the bridge. The Streamer is…lost."

Just as the last six crewmen arrived on the bridge, the timer reached 00:00, and a new star blasted in the space in front of the crew, who all saluted.

"No way anyone could have survived that."

On a chunk of the meteor, unseen by the crew of the Orion, the dark man clung on, flying down to earth. He had survived, and had business to attend to.


	2. Overworked, Underthought

Chapter 1: Over-worked, Under-thought

"AAAHHHHHHHH! KOARU!"

Serena's words cut through Koaru's dream like a knife as he woke up with a start. Moaning, he sat up, stretching and cracking his back. He checked his alarm clock. 7:30 am

"_God damn it Serena."_ He thought as he got out of bed and pulled on a pair of jeans and a white T-shirt. He then made his way out of his room and to the living room, the source of his sister's beckoning.

Koaru hopped the last eight stairs, landing a low crouch, then straightened up to find himself face-to-face with his annoying fifteen-year-old sister, who was wearing a grin which made him know he should have taken more sleeping pills the previous night.

"You screamed?" he asked groggily, wanting to go back to bed as fast as he could.

"You need to phone Amy, big bro." She said, still grinning devilishly. Koaru sighed, remembering the previous year how she had tried to hook him up with her best friend for almost a month. He looked at her, trying to have an annoyed expression.

"Serena, Amy and I have been going out for six months. You can stop being a go-between, trying to hook us up. We are together." Serena cut him off by placing her hand on his mouth.

"Koaru, you two study together and eat lunch together. You have yet to ask her out to a movie, or a walk in the park." Koaru thought a moment, then realized that, for the first time in his memory, Serena had a point. Koaru looked around for the phone.

"It's in my room. Darien and I had a nice long chat last night." Serena said in a tone that made it sound like Koaru actually cared about her love life.

"Thanks. I'll get it myself." Serena watched her adopted brother climb the stairs, a slight bounce in his step. She smiled in satisfaction.

"Oh yeah, I'm that good."

Koaru left the house an hour later, carrying his gym bag over his shoulder and jumping onto his motorcycle. Serena ran to the door, looking excited.

"Where you taking her to?" she called as Koaru started his bikes engine and revved the motor.

"I'm meeting her at the new Training Center." He called back before backing out of the driveway and popping a wheelie all the way down the street.

"Training Center?" Serena asked herself, feeling confused, "What kinda date is that?"

Amy Mizuno leaned against the blue hand railing on the stairs of the Training Center, the sun warming her face and the slight breeze causing her hair wave around her head. She sighed and leaned back a bit farther, watching some birds fly by overhead, twittering in the spring sky. A second later, she heard the unmistakable sound of her boyfriend's motorcycle in the parking lot. She sat up as he hopped off the bike and stowed the keys in his pocket.

"Hey handsome." She said as he walked up to her, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close.

"Wait long?" he asked as he continued to hold her, savoring the warmth of her body against his own. She shook her head and pulled away, indicating that she wanted to go inside. He released her and they walked, hand in hand, up the stairs and into the gym.

"No no no no no noooooo!" Lita shouted as smoke billowed from the oven in which had been her first attempt at baking bread (the key-word in that sentence is 'attempt'). She slipped on some oven mitts and pulled open the oven door, receiving a face-full of black smoke which set off the smoke detector in the hallway.

"Damn, damn damn damn!" she swore as she ran around, opening windows, pulling out the detector's batteries and returning to her charcoal bread. Just as she got the kitchen under control, there was a knock on her door. Wiping sweat from her brow and wiping her hands on the apron she was wearing around her waist, she made her way over to the door and opened.

"Morning…bad timing?" her blonde friend Mina asked as she looked at Lita's condition.

"Actually, perfect timing." Lita said, pulling her friend into the porch and leading her to the kitchen. "You can help me clean up and try this bread again."

Mina looked at the gray smoke that remained in the air of the kitchen and knew that it was a bad idea to come visit Mina that day. Nonetheless, she grabbed an apron and started to help clean out the oven, which was filled with ashes.

"Better, again!" Koaru said to Amy as she panted, hands on her knees and sweating, yet wearing a self satisfied smile as she raised her arms once again, then charged Koaru as fast as she could. Koaru lashed out with a kick, which Amy blocked with both hands, then grabbed his ankle, spun around and swept his left leg out from under him, sending him onto his back. Amy then leapt forward and sat on his chest, pinning him to the ground.

"Gotcha at last." She said, sweat dripping off her face and onto Koaru's chest. He smiled and her grip on his wrists tightened as she leaned closer, panting slightly.

"You have me…" Koaru said with a smile, "in a way." He then bent his knees all the way to her butt and kicked, the force of it sliding him right out from under Amy. Koaru then turned and grabbed her from behind, his left arm around her waist and right around her neck. She sighed in disappointment.

"I give, you win…again." Koaru smiled and released her, then turned his attention to the free weights.

"Lets see just how strong I am." He said, and Amy rolled her eyes.

"Men…" she sighed.

"Get the fire extinguisher, quick!" Lita shouted as fire billowed from the open oven door, threatening to burn down the kitchen. Mina ran to the closet and pulled out the red tank of CO2 and began to spray the fire with a little to much excitement. Lita sighed in disappointment.

"So much for the cookies." She said as she looked at the ashes on the trays. Mina knelt next to her, sharing the upset.

"Yeah, I doubt that even Serena would eat them now." The two girls looked at each other, then burst out laughing.

"Leave me alone, Grandpa! I'm not a little girl anymore!" Raye shouted at her grandfather as he walked into her room as she was changing into her robes from her pajamas.

"Oops, I'm sorry Raye." Her Grandfather said as he quickly covered his eyes and rushed back out. "I thought you were still asleep." Raye sighed, then put on the white robe she had been covering herself with. As she finished tying the belt her grandfather shouted to her.

"Raye! Come here, quickly!" Raye rushed outside to find her grandfather looking up at the sky. She followed his gaze and saw a small streak of light shooting down towards Mt. Fuji.

"It's a meteor!" she gasped as she watched it crash into the side of the mountain. As she watched the smoke from the point of impact, she suddenly felt a chill run up her spine; a sure sign of trouble.

"Grandpa, I'm going to meditate. Please don't disturb me." Her grandfather nodded his understanding and shuffled off to the garden of the Temple, leaving Raye with a sick feeling in her stomach.

"ARRRRRRRRRRGH!" Koaru grunted as he finally reached his limit for the bench press, 275 pounds. Two other guys helped him to place the bar back on its stand and started unloading the weights. Amy walked over to Koaru with a water bottle, which he took with a quick thanks and took a deep drink, panting afterwards.

"How can you handle that much weight?" she asked as Koaru caught his breath. He shrugged his shoulders, took another swig of water, then passed the bottle back.

"Living in the orphanage was no picnic. I guess I got some fair training there before I got out." Amy smiled, knowing Koaru liked to call his adoption his "Great Escape". She looked over at him as he walked to the training bag and started to strike it with lightning fast punches. She took in his bodily features, his strong upper body, solid legs, determined eyes, and the mark on his left shoulder, the curse that had almost killed them all so many times already.

"_How does he live with that burden?"_ she wondered as she continued to watch, Koaru now kicking the bag so hard it was swinging up to the ceiling.


	3. Late Night Visit

Chapter 2: Late Night Visit

All was peaceful in the Tsukino house that night. Koaru and Sammy were stargazing, Mr. Tsukino was reading a newspaper while watching the news, and Serena and her mother were doing up the supper dishes. Out in the yard, Koaru was explaining about the planets and legends of what happens during lunar alignments.

"You see there, Sam?" Koaru said, pointing to Mars. "Do you know the name of that planet?" Sam thought a moment, then nodded.

"Its Mars, right?" Koaru nodded his head and lay back on the deck. Sammy then looked at him.

"Koaru, which is your favorite planet?" he asked, and Koaru smiled. He scanned the sky for a moment, then pointed.

"That one. Mercury, the planet closest to the sun." Sam looked at him curiously.

"Why? It sounds like a hot planet to me." Koaru smiled.

"_Yeah, the planet is hot, and so is the Senshi of that planet."_ He chuckled to himself, leaving Sam even more confused.

In the trees across the alley from the Tsukino household, a pair of figures crouched low on the branches, watching the boys on the deck.

"Well, are they here?" the one asked the other, who nodded in response.

"Yeah, the two that he seeks are here." The second replied, and the first looked over at him.

"Shall we follow them?" the first nodded, and adjusted himself more comfortably on the branch, which swayed slightly. He looked at his partner, his eyes piercing the darkness around them.

"I'll follow the girl. The boy is yours." The two then vanished into the darkness, leaving the branch to sway in relief of the pressure.

"So yeah, I'm going to see that show with him tomorrow." Serena was talking to her friend Hotaru on the phone, excited about the upcoming day. Just then there was a beep, indicating another call.

"Oh, hang on a sec." She switched to the second call. "Hello?"

Koaru and Sammy had just walked back inside when Serena called her elder brother. He entered the living room to see her with her hand over the telephone and a worried look on her face.

"What's up?" he asked, wondering if Darien had canceled their date.

"Raye just called. She said she needs to talk to you about something." Koaru shrugged and grabbed his keys from the coffee table.

Raye opened her eyes as she heard the roar of a motorbike approaching the Temple. She got to her feet and walked out of the front gate, watching Koaru walk towards the gate, obviously wanting to go home soon.

"What is it, Raye?" he asked as they walked together to the center of the Temple where the Great Fire burned, waiting to show them what was troubling the earth.

"Its this energy I have been feeling all day. It is a new energy, definitely from the Negaverse, but yet it feels, familiar somehow." Koaru sighed, knowing that it meant trouble.

After several disastrous attempts at cooking, Lita and Mina both gave up and retired to the television with a bowl of microwave popcorn. As they sat there watching CSI Tokyo (made up) they started to discuss about boys.

"So Mina," Lita asked as she reached forward for some popcorn, "who do you have the hots for?" Mina turned red and looked away, staring out the window. Lita collapsed into a fit of silent giggles on the couch. Mina looked over at her with a sharp eye.

"How bout you tell first." It was Lita's turn to blush. Looking at the ground, she confessed.

"I met a guy at one of Koaru's martial arts classes." (did I forget to mention the Koaru is teaching? Well, now you know). "His name is Hondorus, and he is a dream." Mina sat, dumbfounded at this piece of news. Lita, having a crush and being open about it? Lita then shot Mina a glare.

"No butting in, got it? I really like this guy." Mina burst out laughing, finally recognizing her friend again.

"You sure you have no ideas?" Raye asked as Koaru got back on his bike, holding his helmet on his lap as he sat down.

"No, I don't. I agree that this energy is familiar, but I have no idea as to what or who it belongs." With that he pulled on his helmet, flipped his ponytail behind him and took off, taillights glowing in the darkness. Raye sighed.

"Amy has no idea how lucky she is."

Koaru was speeding down a freeway, needing to get gas before heading home, still trying to remember who that energy belonged to. He suddenly blinked, swerved slightly, the shook his head, continuing to the gas station.

"Unleaded, and fill her up please." Koaru walked into the store and grabbed himself a Twizzler, then grabbed two more for Sammy and Serena. He paid at the counter, then walked back to his bike, started it up, and took off for home.

Serena was on the phone, talking to Darien, again, when the phone indicated a new call. She quickly told Darien, then switched to the second call. "Hello?"

"Serena." It was Koaru. "I'm on my way home, just grabbed a bit of gas. I might be a little late, so tell Mom and Dad to just lock up, ok?" Serena told him alright, then switched back to talking to Darien, not really caring about Koaru being late.

Koaru was doing a good 65 mph when, without warning, he slammed on his front bakes, raised the back end of his bike, and heard the satisfying thud as whatever had been following him rammed into his back tire. He released the brake and stopped, swerving to the side of the road and hopping off his bike, ready for anything. To his surprise, he saw…

"Nothing…" there was no sign of what had rear-ended him. Koaru took a step forward, then felt his feet leave the ground.

"What the hell?" Koaru shouted as he flew through he air and roughly landed in the ditch. The he was able to sense it, a dark energy, far more powerful then anything he had ever sensed before. He silently cursed himself for not bringing the Tritus Crystal, which would allow him to transform into the Tritus Knight. Instead, all he had was a katana on the side of his bike, fifty feet away. He made a break for the bike.

"Oh no you don't." came a voice behind him, and once again he felt himself fly through the air, this time crashing into his bike, which flipped from the impact. Koaru looked up and finally saw his opponent…a girl! She was about five feet tall, had shoulder length green hair, and dark yellow eyes, like a cat. Her outfit was a skin tight red and blue uniform with a symbol on the left shoulder which Koaru couldn't make out from the angle. On the girl's hands were black gauntlets, the right one with five long spikes emitting from each knuckle, and her boots were knee high with a short blade on the side of the heel. On the girl's hips was a small bag, and a short sword rested on her back. She looked at Koaru with a piercing look, almost like she was scanning him.

"So, you're my masters nemesis, hmm?" she asked in a high, girlish voice that reminded Koaru of Rini, Serena daughter from the future who had visited earlier that year. Koaru bent down and quickly drew his hidden katana, raising it in a defensive stance.

"I don't make a habit of talking to enemies if I don't know their names. Got one?" Koaru was very aggressive in his tone, but inside, he was nervous. The girl giggled and placed her index finger of her right hand on her bottom lip, smiling slightly.

"Ooh, I love tough guys." She winked, and Koaru felt himself falter. "My name is Mitarashi, Royal Guard to King Tritus." Koaru blinked.

"King…King Tritus? How…I thought he was killed, long ago." Koaru was baffled, since he was Prince of Tritus, and the planet of Tritus itself was long ago destroyed and became the Asteroid Belt. Sweat dripped off of Koaru's face as he stood there, his grip on the katana shaking, and for the first time in his life, he didn't know what to do.


	4. Flying Solo

Chapter 3: Flying Solo

"So, he left an hour ago, and still isn't there?" Raye asked Serena, thoroughly concerned now. She heard Serena fight back tears.

"_Yeah, he called about twenty minutes ago, saying he would be late, but never this late. And Amy hasn't heard from him either."_ Raye was now sure that Koaru was in trouble.

"I'm going to try and find him, ok Serena? I'll call as soon as I find anything." Serena gave her thanks and hung up. Raye slowly placed the phone back on the receiver and walked to the Great Fire, hoping to find some trace of what happened to Koaru.

"So, you serve King Llander of Tritus?" Koaru asked Mitarashi, not knowing what other question to ask. Mitarashi laughed, a cold, cruel laugh.

"Llander? That old geezer died to my Master's sword back in the Silver Millennium. And you are Llander's son, right?" Koaru's blood suddenly boiled as he looked at Mitarashi. He realized that she could not be one of his father's Guards, not with an aura like the one she possessed.

"Yeah, Llander was my father. Got a problem with that?" he asked, no longer acting tough, but ready to fight to the death. Mitarashi smiled, revealing slightly pointed teeth.

"Yes, I do. My mission is to kill the Prince of Tritus, a.k.a, you." She drew her sword and lunged at Koaru, who parlayed the attack with his own sword and leapt aside. But his sped was nothing compared to hers. No sooner had he regained his footing did she rush past, slashing is arm as she went.

"Argh…damn it…" Koaru grabbed the cut on his arm and dropped to his knees, feeling the blood gush from the cut. _"If only I had the Crystal…then i…_" Koaru cut off his thoughts with a quick shake of his head.

"_Can't think like that. After all, I was more then a threat before I gained that power, so why not use it?"_ Time slowed as Koaru watched Mitarashi fly at him again, blade pointed at his heart.

"Give us the girls and we won't hurt the others, got it punk?" Koaru was standing in an alleyway with eight other kids from the orphanage. Three of them were girls and the other five were boys. All of them were about seven years old, except for two of the girls; Kelsey was fourteen and Maylin was thirteen. Koaru, at fifteen, was the oldest, bringing the younger ones back from the zoo when six punks cornered them in the alleyway, and were now demanding Kelsey and Maylin. Koaru stepped forward, holding his hand behind him, telling the others to stay back.

"Sorry, but I can't let that happen. They're under my protection, and I will protect them with my life." Two of the gang snapped out a switchblade.

"Really, you think you can take all of us?" one of them asked, spinning the blade between his fingers. Koaru merely glared at him from under his thick mop of hair.

"Oh yeah, I _know_ I can take you clowns." The guy quit spinning the blade and held it, blade down. One of the guys stepped forward, carrying what looked like a sword on a stick.

"Nice glave. You steal that, or does your Mom really love you?" Koaru asked, his face twisted into an evil grin as he spoke. The guy seemed unaffected by the insult.

"Tok, Koji, Akira. Shut this guy up…_permanently_." Koaru continued to smile as the three approached, two of them holding the switchblades. Behind him, Koaru heard one of the kids whimper in fright. He turned and looked at them.

"Don't worry, you guys. I'll be fine." He kept his expression as calm and reassuring as he could, then turned back to the trouble in front of him. "Just stay back there, and don't try to help, understand?" he heard them reply in a mixed jumble of ok's, yes' and alright's and turned to smile at them.

"Bad idea, tough guy!" Koaru felt the speaker's fist connect with his face, then met the pavement with a dull thud. He watched three pairs of feet surround him, a slight swagger in their step.

"Say good-bye!" the one shouted as he brought the knife down at Koaru's head. He heard the cries from the children, and reacted. Placing his hands on either side of his face, Koaru pushed himself back just as the blade struck the ground, causing a few sparks to flash.

"My move, suckers." Koaru swept his legs to the left, keeping his hands planted on the ground, so that he was now standing on them. With a mighty swing, he slammed both of his heels into his assailant's head, which smashed into the ground with a loud crack.

"What the hell?" Koaru placed his feet on the ground, stood up and faced his next two opponents, both looking terrified. Their leader shouted at them.

"Kill him, damn it!" they both snapped out of their shock and charged Koaru, who merely stood there. They were three feet away when he moved.

"Either of you ever flown before?" he asked as he spun around, grabbing onto the one's right wrist and the other's left wrist. He then jumped up, dragging them behind, flipped in a front somersault, and kicked both of them in the chest, sending them into wall. Koaru landed in a low crouch, then slowly stood up and turned to face the remaining three gang members.

"How the hell did he do that?" the leader asked, watching Koaru stand up. Behind him, the other two were backing away.

"Screw this, man. Nothing is worth getting pummeled by that guy." With that, they ran off, leaving their boss behind to face an opponent with whom he didn't hold a prayer.

"_Enough 'if only's'. Time for a good old fashioned ass-whoopin."_ Koaru leaned back just as the blade reached him, passing over him. Mitarashi flew right over Koaru, right where he wanted her.

"What?" Mitarashi gasped in shock as Koaru ducked under her lunge, then flipped onto his chest, curled up, balancing on his head, then kicked her square in the face. Blood squirted from her nose and mouth as she flew up into the air, dropping her sword as she did.

"You, how can you fight without your powers?" Koaru smiled as he stood up, his old combat instincts back in over drive.

"I always carry my power with me. It's called Tai Jutsu!" Mitarashi growled in irritation and flew at Koaru, charging energy into her hands as she flew closer. Koaru stepped his right leg back, placing himself in a very long stance, leaning forward slightly, right arm extended backwards and left arm extended towards the ground. Both combatants clashed in an all out martial arts brawl.

"_**Black Comet Fist!" "Thousand Palms of Fire!"**_

Raye sat back on her hands, panting, her heart racing and sweat dripping from her forehead.

"Such power…that has to be where Koaru is." She quickly got to her feet and ran to the phone, knowing that the Sailor Scouts had a big job ahead of them.

"**_Rising Thunder!"_** Koaru signature Tai Jutsu combo opener connected with Mitarashi's jaw and sent her straight up into the air, with Koaru following close behind with a kick to the back.

"**_Pillar of Pain!"_** Mitarashi felt her breathe shoot out of her lungs as Koaru heel connected with the mid-section of her back. She started to fall, and Koaru helped her gain speed.

"**_Meteor Strike!"_** he shouted as he flipped forward and connected both of his heels with Mitarashi's neck and chest, sending her straight down into the earth. As Koaru began his descent, he rolled into a ball and began to spin as fast as he could.

Mitarashi opened her eyes, watching Koaru fly down at her like a giant pinball. _"So, this is how my first mission ends, with my death?"_ she thought as she watched the attack close in.

"**_Asteroid Drop!"_** Koaru struck down with both legs together and struck, a hand?

"Huh?" Koaru wondered aloud as he looked at the figure holding him up with one hand as though it was a daily chore that he enjoyed.

Mitarashi gasped in shock at the sight. Then she suddenly glared at her rescuer. She forced herself to feet with great effort, then continued to glare.

"What are you doing here, Siefer?"

Siefer looked back at Mitarashi with disgust. He threw Koaru aside and turned to face her.

"Fine then. Next time I'll let him smash your worthless skull like an egg, ok?" he then drew a sword and turned to Koaru, who had picked up his discarded katana. Siefer smiled, then slashed the air before him.

"**_Crushing Pressure Slice!"_** Koaru felt the air around him ripple, then felt something pass him. He looked over at Siefer, who smiled. Then the cut opened. Across Koaru's chest opened a cut that covered him from his right shoulder to his left hip. Blood gushed from the wound, and he fell back, sputtering and gasping in shock.

"Hmph, some warrior." Siefer said as he turned and grabbed Mitarashi, then the two of them vanished into the darkness, the darkness which was swallowing up Koaru as he lay on the ground in a pool of his own blood.


	5. Guilt and Anger

Chapter 4: Guilt and Anger

"Sure was close."

"Yeah, I thought he was dead for sure."

"Oh please, as if Trista would let him die. He is the only one who can beat him, after all."

Koaru's eyes snapped open. He was lying on a very soft bed with several pillows around him. He sat up and felt pain lance across his chest and lay back on the bed with a loud grunt. The talking stopped and was replaced by footsteps. Through the doorway came Amy, closely followed by the Outer Sailors, Hotaru, Michelle and Amara. Judging from the decor of the room, Koaru guessed he was in Michelle's house. He then felt something wet and sticky across his chest. Looking under the covers, he saw that he was wrapped in bandages, across which there was a long red streak. Amy froze at the sight of the bandages, horrified. Hotaru rushed forward to heal the wound while Amara comforted Amy, who had broken down into tears. Koaru looked at Amara and Michelle, then closed his eyes.

"How badly did he get me?" he asked, and Amara quickly took Amy out of the room. Once the door had clicked shut, Michelle answered.

"When Amara and I found you, we thought that…well…"

"That you were dead." Hotaru finished as she continued to seal the wound. "God damn it!" she shouted in frustration, causing Koaru to wince and Michelle to jump. "This wound won't close. There must be magic on it."

Koaru sighed and lay his head down on a pillow. _"I lost."_ He thought to himself. _"I let my guard down. I underestimated the enemy."_ He looked up as Amy and Amara re-entered, both looking like they had had a good cry. Koaru sat up and fought to ignore the pain that lanced across his chest for the second time. He then got to his feet, feeling more blood moisten the bandages.

"I'm going."

Hotaru, Amara, Amy and Michelle all looked at him in shock.

"Koaru! Do you have a death wish or are you just that thick?" Amara shouted at him as he walked past her, the bandages now dripping. He merely turned to look at them, a grim expression on his face.

"I lost in one hit. How can I be the Senshi Guardian if I am that weak? Tell me!"

The four girls looked at the ground, silent. Koaru sighed in frustration and continued towards the door behind the girls. Amy stepped in front of him and grabbed his forearms tightly, causing him to pause.

"Koaru," she said, "just don't overexert yourself, ok? I want you back in one piece."

Koaru smiled and gently pulled her hands off his arms. He then leaned close to her and whispered in her ear, "Who are you talking to?" Amy smiled and kissed him, the stepped aside to let him pass.

In the doorway, Koaru paused and turned to face the four.

"I'll be back before school next week."

He then walked out, and Amy's lip quivered. Hotaru noticed and embraced her friend, who started to cry again. Amara shook her head, smiling slightly.

"That bastard is going to kill himself before the enemy gets a chance to." Michelle smiled and sat down on the bed, hanging her head.

"But if that does happen, it will be the end off us." She said with a tone of seriousness. Amara and the others looked at her, shocked. Michelle raised her head and stared back at them.

"You all heard Trista. Only Koaru has the means of killing this new enemy. He has a bone to pick with this enemy."

Amy wiped her eyes and sat beside Michelle.

"At least we will know if he goes missing. We have a return time for him this time."

The other three smiled, then rose to their feet and left the house, each with some chore to attend to.


	6. Unnatural Disasters

Chapter 5: Unnatural Disasters

"So you see, Koaru is on a class trip and won't be back for a week or so." Serena lied through her teeth as she told her mother the excuse her and the others had come up with to cover Koaru's absence. Her mother simply smiled and nodded her head in understanding before returning to supper.

Serena dropped into a chair in the living room and sighed.

"Koaru owes me big time." She said as Luna leapt onto her lap and curled up.

"Well, you know he has issues." The cat said as she got comfortable. Serena glared at the black feline.

"That is no excuse. He should have told her before he took off." Luna sighed and lay her head down. Serena scratched the cat's ears and stared out the window, wondering what her brother was up to.

Up on mount Fuji, Koaru sat panting on a huge boulder. The wound had finally healed, but blood still stained the front of his torn t-shirt as he got to his feet and summoned his energy.

Down at the base of Mt. Fuji, a reporter was covering the weather around the mountain.

"As you can see, the weather is perfect here at Mt. Fuji. Not a cloud in the sky, meteorologists are predicting clear weather for next few days. Just take a look at that clear sky."

Koaru unleashed his energy and summoned his attack at the boulders in front of himself.

"_**Tritus Lightning Barrage!"**_

The news camera zoomed in on the mountain as several large lightning bolts shot down and struck the mountain. The reporter sweat dropped.

"_There goes next months paycheck…"_ he thought as he watched more lightning strike the mountain. He turned back to the camera, hoping to fix the problem.

"Well, looks like the meteorologists were wrong there, but the geologists are saying that mountain has never been calmer. Rock slides and earthquakes are not an issue this week.

Koaru looked at the next batch of boulders with his name on them. He drew his energy to his arms and legs. And shot towards them.

"_**Tritus Fists of Power! Mercury Legs of Destruction!"**_

The tremor knocked the entire camera crew off balance and caused a rockslide to rocket down towards them. The reporter stood there, silent tears streaming down his face.

"_There goes my chance at being an anchorman." _

Amy and Lita were watching the news, both staring at the television with no surprise. Lita picked up the phone and dialed Serena's number.

"Hey Serena? Yeah it's Lita. We found Koaru."


	7. Eventful Evening

Chapter 6: Eventful Evening

Mina was walking home from the store with a few groceries at around nine in the evening. She had eaten all of the snacks at Lita's house and knew that she would kill her if she didn't restock the pantry. Mina suddenly froze in her tracks. There were a few figures walking towards her, each wearing a cloak. She couldn't see their faces, but she couldn't help but feel nervous as she approached them. She was now three feet away, and her heart was pounding, sweat was starting to run down her face. As she passed them…

"Good evening." The one figure said as he passed, raising his hand to wave and nodding his head. Mina smiled and replied "good evening." As she continued walking. She sighed, feeling like a complete ass hole.

"Welcome back." Lita said as she watched Mina enter the front door carrying the grocery bags into the kitchen. Lita got up off the couch and helped her friend empty the bags onto the counter.

"So, anything interesting happen?" Lita asked as she pulled a bag of Doritos out and ripped it open. Mina shook her head and placed a bag of Chunks Ahoy into the pantry.

"Nothing worth hearing about." She said, and Lita shrugged her shoulders as she ate a few chips.

Raye was putting the last of the dishes away for the evening when she heard a knock on her door. Puzzled as to why someone was at the Temple so late in the evening, she went to answer it, carrying a knife in her robe's sleeve, just in case.

"Hello?" she asked, opening the front gate. No one there. Then she heard a groan down at her feet. She sighed and shook her head. "Koaru, you are going to kill yourself at this rate." She said as she bent down and pulled him into the Temple to rest.

"Thanks Gramps. That should do for now." Raye thanked her Grandpa as he finished helping her get Koaru into the guest room and into the bed. After the old guy left she started to examine Koaru's body for any signs of serious injury.

"_Boy he pushes himself."_ She thought as she examined a slight fracture on his arm and felt a few torn muscles on his left leg. She sighed again, looking at his face. _"He looks so peaceful when he is asleep."_

KNOCK! KNOCK! Mina and Lita both started when they heard the sound on the door. Lita checked her watch. 1:67am.

"Who the heck…" she said as she hoisted herself off the couch and started towards the door, Mina walking to the kitchen and grabbing a frying pan from the cupboard. The knocking continued till Lita reached the door. She slid the chin place and unlocked the bolt, then slowly opened the door.

"Hel-" BOOM! The door was smashed with such force that the door, doorframe and Lita were all sent flying back into the living room.

"Lita!" Mina shouted as she watched the door crush her friend. She ran forwards and started to pull the heavy wooden door off of her friend, well aware that there were footsteps right behind her. She spun around and threw the frying pan and was rewarded with a loud gong-like noise and a grunt of pain, followed by t sound of a body hitting the floor. She grabbed her cell phone from her pocket and speed dialed Serena and turning on speaker.

Serena flipped her phone open with a quick wrist motion as she watched TV in her room. "Hello?" Serena flushed at the loud crunching noise followed by Mina's screams.

Raye was in the shower when her Grandfather called her to the phone. Cursing slightly, she wrapped herself with a towel and took the phone. "Hello?" she asked, not bothering to mask the irritation in her voice. Thirty seconds later she was shaking Koaru awake and completely ignoring the fact that her towel had fallen off in the hallway.


	8. Reunion With A Nemesis

Chapter 7: Reunion With A Nemesis

"Raye, what the fu-HELLO!!" Koaru said as he noticed Raye's lack of clothing and throwing his blanket at her. Raye blushed slightly and wrapped herself before pulling Koaru out of bed. Koaru, as you can guess, was still baffled. "What the hell going on?" he asked as she thrust his clothes at him (seeing Koaru wearing only a pair of boxers was no new experience to Raye).

"No time to explain, but Mina might be in trouble." Raye had a scared tone in her voice as she spoke, running to the doorway. Koaru stared after her with his shirt half on, now realizing that danger might be nearby.

Amy was running as fast as she could to Lita's apartment, two blocks from her own. Ahead she could make out the outline of Serena and Luna as they also ran to their friend's aid. Amy gasped and reluctantly slowed down, breathing hard and sweating. Behind her shone the light of a motorcycle as it approached. Turning to face it, she saw Raye's hand reach out and instinctively grabbed it, swinging onto the back of Koaru's bike as they gained on Serena.

"Hurry up! Let's go!" Serena shouted as she pulled her broach out and raised it above her head. Like it was a cue, Amy and Raye lifted up their wands and Koaru raised his pendant.

Koaru crashed through the window and landed beside a small pile of rubble in the middle of Lita's living room. Quickly glancing around and sensing nothing, he began searching for his friends.

"Uuugh…" Koaru whipped around and drew the Twin Scar Blade from its sheath on his back (the blade is huge, larger than Koaru) and held it at the ready. Looking down, he saw a trail of blonde hair protruding from the rubble.

"Mina!" he shouted as he dropped the sword and began digging his friend out. A small crunch behind him made Koaru snatch up his sword and spin around to face the source of the noise. "You again…" he growled as Mitarashi stepped out of the shadows.

Mitarashi smiled looking at Koaru like he was an old friend. Koaru gathered energy into the giant sword, ready to how this minion what power she had missed in their last encounter.

"You certainly are excited to meet your maker, aren't you?" he said as he continued to gather energy in his sword, which was now pulsating from the power of the Tritus Prince. Mitarashi smiled more widely, her pointed teeth sending a shiver down Koaru's spine. He dismissed the fear by reaching out with his left hand, palm open, and striking the female warrior with a bolt of crystal lightning. Mitarashi crashed into the wall, chunks of plaster and wood crashing on and around her. Koaru pointed his sword at her fallen form.

"Give up before I am forced to kill you."

Mitarashi emerged from the rubble, blood running down her face. She stared at him, and smiled.

"Death is the last adventure of life." She said, a misty look in her eyes.

"But life is better lived to the fullest."

"But to do that, you need to be alive!" said a voice from behind Koaru, followed by three energy blades slamming into Koaru's back and sending him across the room.

"Damn it."

Sailor Moon ran up the staircase with Mercury and Mars in close pursuit.

"How many stairs are in this building?!?" Serena finally shouted in frustration at the sight of another staircase. Sailor Mercury and Mars ignored the pause of their leader and kept running. Serena groaned and reluctantly followed.

Siefer stepped out of the shadows, a smile etched across his face.

"How can you be the master's nemesis?" he asked, a tone of sincere confusion in his voice. Koaru got to his feet, the sword in his hands still pulsating with the power of the young warrior.

"Well, how about we find out?!" he shouted, moving the blade behind his back and slashing down, the power in the blade creating a blue flaming arc above the wielders body.**_ "Arctic Crescent Flame!"_**

Siefer brought his swords up in time to block the resulting flaming crescent beam that had blasted off the giant sword in Koaru's hands. Siefer felt his heels crunching into the floor as he tried to repel the merciless attack. Out of the corner of his left eye, he spotted Koaru sprinting towards him at an impossibly fast pace.

"_What?! He can leave the origin point of an energy attack and strike while the energy stills remains?!?!"_ Siefer thought in fear as Koaru's sword came arcing down at his right shoulder.

The unexpected black beam of energy from the window was the only thing that saved Siefer. ****

The three Sailor Scouts finally ran through the ruined doorway as Koaru flew back at them and, with a loud crash mixed with several shouts and groans, slammed into the group and sent them all into the wall opposite the door.

"Damn it!!" Koaru roared as he picked up his sword and charged back into the room.

"That hot head!" Sailor Mars shouted as she followed him back in. Serena bent down and help Amy to her feet, then they too entered the building.

Inside stood the scene of destruction. Pieces of the room littered the floor, large section of the walls were missing. Mina's head was visible from under the pile of rubble in the center of the room, across from which sat Mitarashi wiping blood from her face. Siefer was on his knees, panting, the front of his uniform burnt open from Koaru's attack. And leaning against the wall of the apartment was a new person. He was around six feet tall, had long gray hair and a neatly trimmed mustache and beard, both also gray. He wore gold armor with a long sword strapped across his back with a brown belt that wrapped decoratively around his upper body. The moment the four warriors looked at this man, they all felt as though their souls had been frozen.

The man laughed at the sight of them, then looked at Siefer.

"Well done, my servant. These two are the ones I seek."

Siefer placed his head on the floor, bowing in the praise he had received.

Koaru finally found his voice. "Who are you?" he asked, raising his sword to his side in a defensive stance. The man looked at him with a wide grin.

"How awful of you Koaru. It's me, King Soul…your uncle of the Negaverse."


	9. Curse or Gift?

Chapter 8: Curse or Gift?

Koaru stood frozen, his hands shaking on his sword handle. The words that this man had spoken were like daggers of ice that had been slammed into his soul.

_"I…have an uncle from the Negaverse? But how? I have always been the Scouts Guardian, but…the Shadow Scar…no, but…what I did that time when Jedite…"_ Koaru's mind raced as he tried to make sense of what was happening. Beside him, the Scouts were glancing back and forth between the two. Amy was the first to speak.

"No." she said, backing up slowly and shaking her head. "No. he isn't evil. We just fought off the Negaverse, and he helped, he never attacked us, he wouldn't ever, he can't be…no!" she shouted as she finally collapsed to her knees, holding her head. Sailor Mars knelt next to her as Sailor Mon stepped forward and stood next to Koaru. She placed her hand on his shoulder and stared at the man.

The man smiled as he watched the two warriors glaring at him. "What's wrong? Can't you figure out the main connection here? I gave Koaru that Shadow Scar!"

Koaru's eyes snapped open as a small gasp escaped from his mouth. So it was true…his worst fear confirmed. His power came from the Negaverse, the root of their problems since the first day they had all met. But as he thought hard, he remembered this man, a long time ago telling him, _"I dispatched your worthless parents to the afterlife myself."_ Rage burned in his soul as he drew his powers to his right hand.

"So you gave me these powers?" he asked, a note of danger in his voice that made Siefer and Mitarashi both back up a couple of steps. King Soul smiled in anticipation of what his nephew would try next.

Koaru unleashed his rage and charged forward at a blinding speed. "Then take them back!!" he shouted as he drove his fist into Soul's chest, feeling bones shatter under the force of his fist and hearing the satisfactory roar of pain escape from Soul's mouth. A second later Koaru had Soul pinned against the wall, large cracks running through it from the impact.

King Soul, blood running from his mouth weakly looked down at Koaru's face in shock and anger. "How can you be so fast?" he asked thickly through his blood.

Koaru smiled wickedly. "I'm not just fast." He whispered so only King Soul could hear him, then again he charged his power into his right arm, the arm pinning Soul against the wall. Then with a rage driven roar, he pressed against King Soul until he smashed through the wall and into the evening sky. To Koaru's shock, though, King Soul didn't fall. Instead, he hovered in the air like a bug, a bug that Koaru wanted to crush.

Soul looked at Koaru in terror. He then set his face straight and vanished into the darkness along with Siefer and Mitarashi.

"Damn it!" shouted Koaru as he turned to the Scouts. He then bent low and with little effort lifted the doorframe off of Lita and threw it aside while Sailor Mercury and Sailor Mars unearthed Mina. Sailor Moon approached Koaru and set a reassuring hand on his shoulder. He ignored her, continuing to stare at the hole in the wall.

"You're not evil, bro." Sailor Moon said, sounding calm as she said it though small doubts swam through her mind. He turned to look at her, and she jumped back in shock.

"Am I really? How can I not be? I mean for Christ's sake, LOOK AT ME!" he shouted, causing Amy and Raye to look up, and they too gasped in shock. The Shadow Scar's chain-like tails had wound their way around Koaru's arms and face, giving him a truly demonic look. He then turned back to the hole.

"Koaru…please don't." Amy said, tears sounding at the back of her throat. Koaru lowered his head slowly.

"I have to. I got lucky, but he is powerful, and I need to destroy him for his crimes. I don't know how long I will be, but don't wait for me this time."

"Koaru!" Amy shouted, tears running down her face. He ignored her and leapt out into the night sky, landing on a neighboring roof and taking off into the darkness like a wild animal.


	10. Madness or Passion?

Chapter 9: Madness or Passion?

A week after the departure of the Guardian showed Amy in the lowest she had ever been in her life. Since Koaru had taken off, her grades had dropped, she had quit eating, and she often spent hours on end just watching the horizon, as though Koaru would come running through it and back to her. It hurt the others to see Amy this way, but they were all lost for words. Even Darien had no ideas as to what to say to Amy, and he watched with the others, feeling helpless.

"If only I had some idea as to what to do." Serena said, a note of desperation in her voice. Lita looked at her with a slight smile.

"The only thing that would work would be putting a leash and collar on Koaru and keeping him tied up." She said, and the others all smiled, feeling a bit better.

Koaru sat on the lowest branches of an old oak tree, staring out on the horizon, wondering how the others were doing and whether Amy was alright. Below him, a wolf cub whimpered and circled around the tree's base, waiting for Koaru to come back down. Koaru smiled as the wolf tried to climb up to him and fell on its back, then proceeded to roll around for a few moments before trying again. He had found the cub the other day lost on the mountainside and had sort of adopted it. He had named it Light because of the lightning shaped scar across its left eye. Koaru returned his focus to the view of the city, watching the lights turn on as the sun set in the horizon.

"_Amy, wait for me."_ He thought as he hoisted himself to his feet, balancing on the tree branch. _"I'll be back soon…I promise."_

"Amy, please eat something." Mina begged as she tried and again failed to feed Amy some soup that Lita had made for her. Across from Amy and Mina sat Serena and Raye, both having a silent fight about what the best way to deal with Amy's condition. Over in the kitchen, Lita was trying to make some biscuits to go with her soup, but she was kept on leaving the dough to check on Amy.

"God, I will kill Koaru for this. He only thinks of himself, and never stops to think how his actions affect Amy." Lita said as she stormed back into the kitchen to continue her cooking. Raye watched her go with a small frown, knowing that she had a point. As adorable as Koaru was, he was a lot of trouble as well.

"Come on Light! Keep up boy!" Koaru called to the wolf cub as it tripped and stumbled over the rocky terrain in its attempt to keep up with the teen. It finally collapsed at Koaru's feet, who smiled and picked the pup up. "Come on boy, time to call it a night."

Koaru made his way into a small cave and set the wolf down, then set fire to a few branches he had found on his way there. Light walked a small circle around the blaze before curling up a few feet from it and drifting off to sleep.

Koaru leaned back and stared at the rocky ceiling, wondering how long he had been away from the city. Slowly, his thoughts drifted to Amy, and he felt a pain in his heart. Placing a hand over it, he sat up and stared into the dancing flames before him.

"Amy, I'll return soon…as soon as I can use that attack again…" 

"I can't take it anymore. I'm calling the hospital." Serena said as she made her way over to the phone after Amy had regurgitated the small bit of soup they had finally made her eat. As Serena started to dial the number to the clinic, Lita put a hand on her shoulder.

"Let me try first, ok?" she asked, and Serena nodded and set the phone back down. Lita set herself beside Amy and looked her straight in the eyes. It saddened her to see them so empty and lifeless, remembering how they had used to sparkle with excitement. Lita took in a deep breathe and started her attempt.

"Amy, you in there?" No response. She tried again.

"Amy Mizuno, what is 2+2?" Again, no response. Lita bit her lip and tried again.

"Amy, if you don't start acting like yourself again, I am going to kill Koaru next time I see him, you got that?"

Only one word in the sentence registered in Amy's mind. She turned to face Lita, her eyes wide.

"Koaru? Is he back? Did he come back?"

Lita again bit her lip and continued.

"No he isn't."

Amy hung her head, and all four girls saw tears start to fall to her lap.

"It's because of me, isn't it? He doesn't love me anymore…I'm useless, forgotten to everyon-

SMACK!

Before anyone could react, Lita's left hand had found its way across Amy's right cheek. Lita stared at Amy, tears swimming in her eyes as she held her hand across her chest.

"Amy," she started. "Don't even start with that bull shit. If you were useless, would you be Sailor Mercury? If you were forgotten, would we all be here?" Lita shouted as tears spilled down her face. Amy looked her in the eyes, and she started to cry herself. Raye, Mina and Serena all rushed forward and hugged their friend, who sobbed harder.

"I'm…I'm so sorry everyone." Amy sobbed, holding them all for dear life.

"Don't worry, Amy." Serena said through her own tears. "We will never give up on you, or Koaru. We promise."


	11. Selfish Choice

Chapter ??: Selfish Choice

Serena sat on the floor of her bedroom, her eyes scanning the darkness outside her window for some trace of her older brother. Behind her, Luna slept silently, her small frame rising and falling she breathed. Her mind raced as she recalled the previous battle they had had. King Soul, his power was off the charts, stronger than even Queen Beryl, but hadn't he said that Beryl was his sister, and he was Koaru's uncle? And to top it off, it was his curse that had placed the Shadow Scar on Koaru?

Serena threw herself back in frustration, landing squarely on Luna, who shrieked and squirmed out from under the teen.

"I'm sorry Luna!" Serena called as the cat leapt onto the bed, glaring at her.

"Well, I expect at least a valid reason for deciding to use me as a pillow." she snapped, her yellow eyes fixed on Seren'a face.

"I'm just thinking about Koaru and the Shadow Scar." Serena said, placing her hands over her face.

"Well, I think you'd be better off not remembering what happened with the Shadow Scar." Luna said roughly as she stretched. "It was a more disturbing memory."

"Why?" Serena asked, moving her hands enough to see the cat again.

"Well, after he first received the Scar, he nearly killed you all. King Soul can control him through that mark if Koaru's anger spikes to a high enough level."

"Lovely. Koaru is our strongest member, and if he decides to go turn over, I have no idea how we could win."

"You can." Luna said as she started to drift off to sleep.

"How?" Serena asked, her curiosity spiking.

"Amy is the only one who can stop him, and she has once before." Luna said, her voice groggy. "And I know she can do it again if she needs to."

Lita walked down the final back ally heading to Mina's house, where she was currently staying until her apartment was repaired. In her arms was a brown paper bag filled with paper towel, dish soap, and some snacks for herself and Mina. Rounding a corner past a few dumpsters, she jumped slightly as she watched a shadow pass in front of her. At first she remained silent, just wanting the person to leave, but something about the step of the figure stuck a memory, and she called out on instinct.

"Koaru!"

The teen stopped and turned around, facing Lita with a disgruntled expression.

"What is it? I'm in a hurry."

Lita felt her blood pressure rise at Koaru's words. He had been gone for days, not a word, and now he was going to just brush her off? She then noticed that he had two plastic bags full of food in his hands.

"Buying food?" she asked casually, trying to mask her frustration. "How much longer you planning on hiding from us?"

"I'm not hiding from anyone." Koaru said as he turned to leave."Than why won't you come back?" Lita yelled, taking a step toward him.

"I..." Koaru fell silent, his back still turned to her. He remained quiet for a few moments before he sighed in defeat. "I don't want to cause you guys anymore trouble. Until I get stronger, my presence is only going to cause you all trouble."

Lita dropped her groceries and, in two quick strides, reached Koaru, grabbed him by the shoulder, wheeled him around, and with her opposite hand, slapped him so hard that his head turned.

"YOU SELFISH BASTARD!" she screamed into his face, tears of rage in her eyes. "You think that we suffer with you around? You're running from your own shame and trying to pass it onto us!" Lita paused to breathe for a moment before continuing. "Do you have any idea what you are putting Amy through with this crap you're pulling?"

"Yes I do." Koaru said. Lita cut him off immediately.

"No you don't!" she yelled, her face an inch from his. "If you did, you wouldn't be running away like you are! She has almost lost all will to live because of you!"

Koaru fell silent, his eyes wide in shock.

"You're lying." he whispered.

"I don't lie," Lita growled, glaring at the boy. "Not when it comes to the safety of my friends."

Koaru turned and walked away, pausing at the mouth of the alley, feeling Lita's eyes burning into the back of his head.

"Tell everyone I'll be back in two days." he said before rounding the corner and vanishing.


	12. Dark Nebula

Chapter 12: Dark Nebula

Amy say in her living room, wrapped in a thick blanket as she watched the news. With the lights out, the screen of the television was the only light source for the room, but Amy was content with it. Combining the talk she had had with everyone the previous day and the news that Koaru was coming home in less than 48 hours, she was feeling better than she had in days. Turning her head to face the window, she stared at the moon out in the night sky, wondering what Koaru had been up to all these days. Though, strangely, Amy felt herself feeling more apprehensive at the prospect of Koaru's return instead of excitement. The sudden ring of her communicator snapped her out of her thoughts. Snatching it up, she pushed the answer button.

"Hello?" she asked as Raye's image appeared in the corner.

"Amy, we need you to meet us at the temple. The Fire has started to act really weird."

Amy felt her heart skip a beat. The Fire acting up was never a good sign.

"I'll be there right away."

Koaru sat under the mountain waterfall, wearing only his shorts and pendant as the ice cold water washed over him. He meditated on his past actions, his judgments, and what kind of a fool he had become in the past few weeks. The thought of him having harmed Amy brought a twinge of guilt to his stomach, causing a few tears to slip from his eyes.

On the bank of the river, Light watched patiently, his tail wagging as he watched his master sit under the freezing waterfall. The wind shifted suddenly, and the wolf's nose twitched, causing his fur to stand on end as he growled. Something new was nearby; something dark.

Amy sat on the floor in the Great Fire's chamber, watching with the others as Raye tried to communicate with the fire. Amy had to agree with Raye that the Fire was acting weird; the normal red and orange flames were flashing blue and white, billowing in its brazier as though a great wind was blowing against it, yet the air in the room was calm.

Raye held her eyes closed, her arms outstretched to the flames as she tried to reach the spirit within the flames, to understand what was happening. Her eyes snapped open as the flames exploded, throwing her back into her friends. Sitting up, she looked back to the Fire, relieved to see that it was now calm once more.

"What was that all about?" Mina asked as she slowly stood up, helping Raye to her feet.

"I'm not sure. It seems that the Fire sensed the power of that man, King Soul." Raye replied, straightening her robes.

"Sensed...meaning?" Amy asked, looking up at Raye.

"He has gotten more powerful. I'm not sure how, but his power seems to have increased by near tenfold."

"That's right," came a voice from the entrance to the chamber. The Scouts all turned to see King Soul standing in the entrance, Seifer at his side, his three swords drawn. "I am more powerful."

Serena led the transformation, bringing a smile to Soul's face.

Koaru leapt from tree to tree, feeling the ripple in the air as Mitarashi's blade passed him over and over. Gritting his teeth, he leapt into the trunk of a tree and, turning to set his feet against the trunk, leapt straight at the woman as she aimed a horizontal slash at him. Koaru reacted quickly, lashing his right foot out to intercept the sword's guard, then sending his left foot into Mitarashi's gut, rocketing her backwards through the air. Landing in a crouch, Koaru glared at the woman as he fished his Crystal out of his pocket. If Light hadn't started howling, he never would have sensed her ambush from above him back at the waterfall. The wolf was now hiding, and Koaru was determined to finish his bout with the dark knight of his Uncle.

"Let's play for real this time." he growled as the Crystal released its light.

Sailor Moon dove to the side as King Soul's great sword tore into the floor where she had been standing just moments earlier. Rising to her feet, she shivered as the pressure emitting from Soul made her knees shake. Fighting the fear and exhaustion that the man was instilling in her, Sailor Moon ran over to where Sailor Mars and Jupiter were battling against Seifer.

_**"Mars Firebird Ignite!"**_

_**"Jupiter Thunder Dragon!" **_

The two Scouts paused as the twin attacks crashed into the Dark Knight. Grey smoke hung in the air where he had been standing, and Mars felt a small feeling of relief set into her heart.

"Close, but not close enough!" Seifer's voice rang from the smoke before the man himself rushed out, uniform smoking, swords tarnished, but still alive.

"You're kidding me!" Lita shouted as she back handed out of the reach of the man's blades. "What part about 'stay down' don't you understand?"

"The 'down' part." Seifer replied, smiling. "I don't like going down, not unless I'm with a lovely young thing like yourself."

Lita felt a wave of disgust run through her body at his words.

"Keep dreaming." she said as she began charging a new attack.

"Raye!"

Sailor Mars turned as Sailor Moon ran up to her, panting heavily.

"He's tough...I can't get close to hitting him."

"Right." Raye said, turning to watch as Sailor Venus and Mercury both attacked. Their attacks hit dead on, but Soul was completely unfazed by the blows. "I have an idea." Mars said, lookin to Serena. "Buy me some time."

Koaru stood over Mitarashi, his sword pointed at her throat, its tip pressing against the skin.

"Now tell me, where is Soul?" he asked, glaring at her as the black links of the Scar slowly reached across his face. Mitarashi grinned and giggled.

"By now, he should be burning them all inside the Great Fire."

Koaru's blood chilled at her words. Pulling the sword away, he slammed his foot into her head and watched her collapse, out cold against a tree. Sheathing his sword on his back, he started running back towards the city.

_"Please don't let me be to late..."_


	13. Cursed Prince

Chapter 13: Cursed Prince

Koaru leapt from rooftop to rooftop, the wind whipping the hem of his jacket back as he soared through the air, heading to the source of the dark energy that felt all too familiar to the Guardian.

_"Hang on everyone,"_ he thought as he felt his heart pound in his chest. _"I'm almost there."_

_**"Mercury Ice Bubbles!" **_

Sailor Mercury's attack filled the room with an ice cold mist, blinding everyone and sending chills through their skin. Turning to her left and grabbing onto what she knew to be Sailor Jupiter's hand, she pulled her friend over towards herself and yelled.

"He's right ahead of you!"

Without a question, Lita charged her attack, creating a small glow and filling the air around her with crackling electricity. With a loud battle cry, Sailor Jupiter launched her attack, smiling with satisfaction as she heard it connect with a body, followed by a masculine shout of pain.

"You ready yet Raye?" Amy shouted as she squinted her eyes, trying to see if Soul was still sounding. Her question was followed by a huge flaming bird rearing up through the mist and spreading its wings with a shrill cry. "That's our cue, Lita." Amy said, smiling uneasily as she charged her next attack.

"Let's hope this keeps him down." Lita replied, powering up a second attack.

Koaru dropped onto one knee, sweat dripping from his brow as he panted heavily, his breath long gone from the continuous running and leaping. Raising his head, he felt from relief seeing the Temple only a block away. Rising to his feet, The Tritus Knight drew his Zweihander sword and bent his knees, preparing to leap to the roof of the Temple. Just as his feet left the roof he stood on, a section of the Temple exploded in a flurry of ice, fire, lightning and bright golden light, resulting in a shock-wave that caught the Guardian and threw him back through the air, imbedding him in the wall of a neighboring house.

"Ouch..." Koaru muttered as he fell out of the impression he had created in the wall, landing roughly on his hands and knees, his sword lying a few feet ahead of him, dropped from his little ride. Grasping its handle, Koaru got to his feet and roughly massaged his right shoulder with his left hand. "I feel so sorry for whoever was on the receiving end of that blast."

Sailor Moon stared at the smoking center that was King Soul, waiting for the smoke to clear. Feeling her pulse increase as the smoke slowly faded, she tightened her grip on the Moon Scepter, trying to stop her hand from shaking.

"Did we get him?" Sailor Venus asked, keeping her hand pointed at the smoke.

"I can't tell," Raye replied, trying to see through the haze. "Amy? Anything?"

Sailor Mercury squeezed her earring, causing her visor for her mini supercomputer to appear across her face, allowing her to analyze the situation. Lita felt her heart skip a beat as she watched Amy's eyes widen in horror.

"He didn't..." she whispered as the smoke completely cleared, leaving the Scouts to stare in horror.

"Mas...master," Seifer stuttered as blood spilled from his mouth, held by his sword belt in front of King Soul, a shallow hole blown in his chest. King Soul smiled and tossed the knight aside, staring at him on the floor.

"Be proud, Seifer," he said, turning his eyes back to the Scouts. "You were finally of some use to me."

"That bastard..." Mina whispered, her blood chilling as she took in the full realization of what Soul had just done.

Sailor Mercury had raised her hands to her mouth in shock, a shiver running through her spine. The man had used his own soldier as a shield, and tossed him aside to die.

Sailor Moon tore her eyes away from Seifer and turned her gaze back to King Soul, feeling her fear turning into anger. Raising the Scepter, she channeled her energy to its tip and launched a new attack at Soul.

"Very amusing, princess," Soul said as he watched the energy approach him. "However, there's no point in attacking me," Soul paused in his speech as he suddenly vanished from the Scout's sight, the Sailor Moon's attack passing through the air that he had been occupying only moments earlier. Sailor Mars was the first to react, screaming at Serena to move. Sailor Moon turned around and felt her blood chill as she saw King Soul standing behind her, his black and red sword raised over his head. "There's no point attacking me if you can't keep up with my speed!" he roared as he brought his sword down at Serena's head.

Tears rose into Serena's eyes as she watched the blade descend towards her skull, finally flinching and closing her eyes, raising the Scepter over her head to try and block the attack. Hearing the blade strike steel, she was stunned that she felt no resistance against her weapon. Opening her eyes, she saw only a billowing white jacket white gold and black detailing in front of her. Her eyes refocused, and she saw the long black ponytail and the seven foot sword raised up against King Soul's own weapon. "Koaru..." she whispered, feeling relief lift into her heart.

Koaru felt his arm straining against the force of King Soul's sword, his knees coming close to buckling as he fought to hold his uncle's attack away from his sister.

"Move Serena!" he yelled as he pushed both swords into the air, creating an opening that he took, lashing a strong kick into King Soul's chest, knocking the man backwards. Behind him, Koaru heard Serena run back towards the other Scouts, and he smiled, grateful that he could now freely wield his sword. Spinning around, he charged at Soul, the blade sweeping a large arc through the air, leaving a black shimmer in its wake. _**"Black Sun Cannon!"**_ he roared, causing a black flaming ball of energy to launch off of his blade towards King Soul.

"Fool!" Soul yelled as he vanished again, then re-appeared behind Koaru. "None of you can keep up with my speed!"

Koaru whipped around and blocked the newest attack launched from his Uncle, parrying the sword to the side and charging forward, ramming the butt of his sword into Soul's gut, then bringing the blade overhead and down at Soul, who leapt back, letting the blade skim past his face and tear into the wooden floorboards.

"I told you that you can't keep up with my speed!" Soul shouted in triumph as he slashed up at Koaru, who smiled at the sight of the blade.

"No, Uncle." he said, watching the blade come closer to his face. "This," the blade passed through the air, leaving Soul to stare in shock at the absence of his nephew, then freeze as he felt a razor edge press against his neck. Koaru stood behind his uncle, smiling. "Is speed you can't keep up with."

Soul leapt forward and spun around, bringing this sword up and pressing it against Koaru's sword, knocking the blade away from his neck.

"You've improved greatly, Koaru." Soul said, smiling slightly. Koaru spat on the ground and glared at Soul.

"Do I care about your opinion? No!" he shouted, charging forward, his sword screaming through the air behind him.

Amy watched Koaru and Soul fight, her heart racing as her fear increased. Beside her, Raye and Mina were both refusing to watch the battle, cringing every time they heard the two blades clash. Amy turned to look at Serena, her hands gripping the Moon Scepter, her whole body trembling as her eyes followed the paths of the swords. Stepping towards her friend, Sailor Mercury froze as she heard Sailor Jupiter scream in shock, quickly followed by the sound of cracking wood. Turning, she saw Koaru leaning against a wall, a small trickle of blood oozing from his forehead. Seeing a haze in his eyes, Amy felt her heart skip a beat.

"No..." she whispered in terror.

"Koaru felt his blood boiling in his veins, felt the spreading of the Scar across his skin, and felt his hatred of the man before him grow ever more powerful with each passing second.

"Now I will finish you," he growled, launching himself forward, his sword screaming a battle cry through the air as it arced down at King Soul. The dark king raised his sword in defense, blocking the attack, but then suffering the after effect of the Scar's power; the extra strength added to Koaru caused his knees to buckle as his feet crushed into the floor before he was thrown through the air by the force of the attack. Rising to his feet, Soul smiled as he looked into Koaru's eyes.

"You took your time, nephew." he said. "Now, come back to my side where you belong."

"Never!" Koaru roared as he charged forward, his sword pointed at Soul's heart. King Soul extended his hand towards Koaru, his grin growing wider until he and Koaru were swallowed in a gust of black energy.

"Koaru!" Amy screamed as she lost sight of the Guardian, watching helplessly with the other Scouts. Slowly the energy dissipated, and each Scout took a step back, their blood chilling in their veins. Their Guardian stood before them, his hair whipping freely around his head, his sword resting on the ground at his side, and his glowing red eyes staring them down as an unholy energy radiated from his body.

"Please no..." Serena whimpered, taking a step back. "Not again..."

"Kill them!" Soul ordered, and Koaru leapt into the air,his blade pointed at the heart of Sailor Moon.


	14. Calming the Demon

Chapter 14: Calming the Demon

Sailor Moon dove to the side as the seven foot sword ripped through the floorboards she had been standing on moments earlier, throwing splinters and chunks of wood into the air. Rolling into a crouch, she lifted the Moon Scepter and tightened her grip on it, trying to keep the fear from flooding her mind. Watching as Koaru turned to face her, she swallowed hard as his burning red eyes locked onto hers, his long balck hair slowly waving around his head while the markings of the Scar continued to spread, covering most of his face already, turning his skin pitch black as it reached further across his body. Lifting his sword, he charged again, and Sailor Moon leapt over him, landing beside the other Scouts, each one looking as scared as she felt.

"What now?" Jupiter asked, sweat dripping from her brow as they all watched the Guardian slowly turn to face them; like a demon stalking a helpless human.

"We need to calm his soul!" Luna shouted up at the girls as she and Artemis ran into the room, each one throwing a look of terror in the direction of King Soul and Koaru.

"How are we supposed to do that?" Mars asked as Koaru took a slow step forward. All five girls shivered as they watched him exhale, causing a dark purple smoke to vent from his mouth.

"Mercury," Artemis said, looking up to Amy. "You're the only one who can stop him."

"What?" Sailor Mercury asked in shock as Koaru sudden't rocketed towards them, the sword trailing behind as he bore down at Sailor Venus.

"You're connection with him will sever Soul's control!" Luna shouted as the Scouts scattered, and Amy realized what they had to do.

"Alright, everyone!" she shouted as she activated her computer. "I need you to slow him down."

Jupiter and Venus both smiled at Mercury's words.

"On it!" they shouted as the two of them leapt into the air.

"_**Mercury Bubble Spray!**_" Sailor cried, filling the room once more with her icey fog. "Now!" she shouted as she dove aside, allowing Koaru to blindly charge past her and into the center of the room.

"_**Venus Love-Me Chain!**_" Venus' golden chain shot through the air and wrapped itself tightly around Koaru, binding him.

"_**Sparkling Wide Pressure!**_"

Everyone watched as Jupiter's attack cleared the fog as it struck Koaru, causing the Guardian to roar in pain before dropping to his knees, his body smoldering as he gasped for breath.

"Now Mercury!" Sailor Moon shouted as she released the power of the Silver Crystal, bathing Koaru in its healing light. Amy dropped to her knees before Koaru and looked into his glowing red eyes, searching for some hint of the man she had fallen in love with. Far beneath the demonic glow, she saw the glint of brown; the dark sparkle that had enchanted her so long ago. Leaning towards him, she pressed her lips against his, her hands grasping onto his head and pulling him closer.

Across the room, everyone watched with anticipation as Mercury kissed the Guardian.

"Will it work?" Serena asked, and Luna answered honestly.

"We can only pray."

King Soul gritted his teeth as he watched the girls trying to cleanse the darkness from his nephew. Remembering how they had succeeded back in the Silver Millenium, he charged forward and grabbed Koaru, yanking him out of Sailor Mercury's embrace. Holding the Guardian against him, Soul glared at the Scouts.

"You will not have him back, not until you are all dead." he growled as he opened a portal to escape with. "I will bring him back, and next time, none of you will even have time to pray."

"Wrong." Koaru muttered, turning his glare onto his uncle. "We're not going anywhere," he said as he reached up and grabbed hold of the elder man and raised his sword, aiming its tip at himself.

"What are you thinking, you fool!" King Soul roared as Koaru's sword arced down, plunging into his gut, passing through its wielder's body before it burst through King Soul's chest.

"I'm taking you to Hell with me," Koaru mutter, smiling as blood dripped from his mouth.

"Koaru!" Mercury screamed as she watched the Guardian impale himself and King Soul with his sword.

"You idiot!" Sailor Moon shouted as tears dropped from her eyes, locking her gaze on Koaru as he looked to her, his face etched in pain.

"Do it now, sis!" he yelled, and Sailor Moon realized that he was right; this was the only way.

"_**Moon Scepter Elimination!**_"

King Soul watched as the energy from the Scepter rocketed towards the two of them. Smiling in defeat, looked down at his nephew.

"So, you decided to die with me, Koaru?" he asked. Koaru looked back up to him, grinning.

"Hell no," he said, smiling through the blood. "You're dying on your own."

"What?" Soul gasped as Koaru dove forward, using the hole in his chest to slide across his sword, then screaming in agony as the guard and hilt burst through him, tearing the hole even more, but freeing him from its hold.

"Good-bye, Uncle." he groaned as he blacked out on the floor.

"Damn You!" King Soul roared as Sailor Moon's attack blasted into him, the ferosity of the energy ripping his body apart. As his body vanished, Koaru's sword dropped to the floor with a loud crash, and Sailor Moon dropped to her knees, exhuasted from the amount of energy she had put into the final attack.

"Amy!" Sailor Mars shouted as she ran over to Koaru. "Freeze his wound, quick!"

Across the room, Luna sat beside Artemis, watching as everyone recovered from the battle. Smiling, she looked to Artemis, who shook his head.

"It will never cease to amaze me how they always forget that the Shadow Scar will keep him alive, no matter what happens to him."

"I know," Luna agreed, turning her head to look at Artemis. "But it just shows how much they all acre for one another."

"Though I have to agree with Lita," Artemis replied. "Koaru is more likely to kill himself before the enemy does."


	15. An End for Two

Chapter 15: An End For Two

The next day the group was outside of the Shrine, relaxing under the warmth of the mid summer sun. Serena and Raye were both sun bathing while Mina was taking a nap in the shade. Lita and Koaru were sparring, though Koaru's movements were very limited due to his injuries. A small ways away, Amy sat, trying to read a book, but she kept glancing over at Koaru with a worried expression. After she noticed him drop to a knee in pain, she snapped her book shut and stood up.

"Koaru, please. Stop and just rest for a bit."

Koaru looked over at her and winked as he got back to his feet.

"Relax, I'm fine." he said as he charged at Lita again, who easily dodged his attack and snapped him into a full nelson. Taking the oppurtunity, Amy rushed over and lifted Koaru shirt, only to jump back in shock. His chest was covered in thick blood stained bandages, all of which were wet with fresh blood.

"Koaru!" she shouted, causing everyone to look over at her. "I...I can't handle this anymore!"

"What?" Koaru asked, completely dumbfounded as Lita let him go.

"You!" Amy yelled, tears starting to brim her eyes as her face turned red. "You're always taking off without a word to train, only to come back half dead. You always push yourself beyond what the human body can tolerate. You always nearly kill yourself in battle, and when I show concern, you turn it into a joke! I can't take it anymore!"

Silence followed her last sentence, everyone too far in shock at May's words to speak. Finally, Koaru found his voice.

"What...what are you saying?" he asked, taking a timid step forward. Amy looked up into his eyes, tears flowing freely down her cheeks.

"Koaru...I don't want to see you anymore."

The words hit Koaru like a wall. He froze, his mind snapping into a state of shock. Seeing what her words had done, Amy turned and grabbed her bag, slinging it over her shoulder and muttering a quick 'Good-bye' before running to the temple gate and down the stairs.

Koaru dropped to his knees, tears brimming his eyes as he realized what had happened; what he had done. Slowly, Serena approached her older brother and set a hand on his shoulder.

"Koaru?" she asked slowly just as he broke down, sobbing into his hands, the guilt of his sin filling his heart.

That evening, Lita stood on the overpass with Serena, watching the vehicles pass below.

"How's he doing?" Lita asked, and Serena shrugged.

"He fell asleep crying after I got him home." she answered, turning her head to face her friend. "How's Amy?"

"She seems fine," Lita replied, looking back down at the road below. "Though when she found a picture of herself and Koaru she broke down and cried."

Serena sighed and looked up into the night sky, her eyes locked on the moon.

"What will happen now?" she asked, and Lita looked at her in confusion. "He's my brother, she's my best friend. And he is our Guardian."

Lita nodded in understanding before turning her eyes to the sky as well.

"Who knows. Maybe they'll make up, mayeb they'll grow to hate each other. Either way, we need to try and make sure they at least can stand being within earshot of one another."

"You're right," Serena said slowly, resting her head on her arms, silently praying for the answers to come easy and quickly; before a new threat appeared.


End file.
